Car-coupling



(No Model.)

J. HAIS H.

GAR GOUPLING- Patented Feb. 28, 1888.

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UhllTED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

JACOB HAISH, OF DE KALB, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,676, dated February28, 1888.

Application filed December I, 1887. Serial No. 257,252. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, JnooB HAISH, a citizen of the United States,residing at De Kalb, in the county of De Kalb and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gar-Couplers; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being badto the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has reference to certain improvements in car-couplers andembodies the following characteristics, to wit: first, mechanism bymeans of which such coupling may be accomplished automatically; second,means for elevating or depressing the outer end of the draw-bar, so asto adapt the same to the varying altitude of the draw-bars of theadjacent car; third, means for elevating or depressing the coupling-linkto adapt the same to be engaged in the adjacent drawbar, though thelatter may be of a different altitude; fourth, means for providingadditional play in the draw-bar, so as to insure any desired slack inthe train.

The object of my invention is to provide mechanism by which the cars maybe coupled and uncoupled without the operator hazarding his personalsafety by going between the cars, and as the trains are largely made upof cars of different constructions, having platforms and couplingmechanism of difierent altitudes, there is involved in the successfulintroduction of any new mode of coupling the capacity of being attachedto cars having platforms of varied heights, and also, for the reasonthat such introduction will be gradual, mechanism adapted for use withthelink-andpin coupling now substantially in universal use.

In my invention the coupling will be effected automatically, and,although the pivotpin will be required to be thrown back by hand inorder to be set for engagement, this will be tlCCOlllPllSllQd by the useof the bars extendingto the side of the cars; and, further, as the pinmay be set at any time before the cars have approached each otherclosely, there enter the aforesaid slot 0.

will be no danger from this portion of the operation. The moment ofdanger, and when injury is very frequently received by the op V tion ofmy invention as applied to one end of the ear. Fig. 3 is a detail of thetransverse shaft which supports the draw-head or outer end of the drawbar, and affords means, by being rotated on its own axis, for varyingthe .altitude of said draw-head.

O is the head or outer end of the draw-bar, which is adjustablyconnected to that portion of the draw-bar,O,which is rigidly fastened inany suitable mode to the frame of the car. A vertical slot, 0", isformed centrally in the inner end of the head 0, and atongue or tenon, Cis formed on the outer end of the fixed portion 0 of said draw-bar andadapted toloosely Ahorizontal slot, 0*, is formed transversely throughthe engaging portions (1 and (3,tl1rough which is transversely insertedthe pin H, which does not fill said slot laterally, and there istherefore permitted a relative movement between the parts 0 and O of thedraw-bar. The pin Halso fits the slot sufficiently loosely to permit thevertical adjustment to the end or head 0, as hereinafter described.

0 is the platform, attached, in any suitable way, to the end of the car.

K is the rock-shaft,suitably journaled under the platform 0 at each sideof the draw-head O, and, extending laterally through the latter, formsat its journal-bearings a pivotal seat for the coupling-pin B. Thelatter is seated in a vertical slot, 0, formed in the draw-head O, andis adapted to make about a quarter-revolution--from the horizontal toavertical position. The pin B is formed in a hook shape and has its shankrigidly seated on the transverse shaft K. The latter extends each way toabout the outer edge of the car, and is there provided with handles orlateral crooks K, by hearing down upon which the pin B is thrown in avertical position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig.2. The shaftK may bestraight, if preferred.

In the outer end of the draw -head 0 is formedthezusualloutwardly-diverging hole, 0 for the insertion of the usualcouplinglink A. On the lower end of the shank of the pin B, and beyondits pivotal seat, isformed the extension N, and the coupling of the carsis effected by turning the pin B in avertical position, (shown in thedotted lines in Fig. 2,) when the projection N will extend below and infront of the pivotal seat of said pin, in which position, when the linkA in its insertion into the head 0 is thrust against said projection N,it thereby rocks the pin B forward and down through said coupling-linkin the position exhibited in Fig. 2. The pin B is shown perpendicular tothe pivot, and when it is in the vertical position shown in the dottedlines in Fig. 2 its center of gravity will be slightly within itspivotal seat which enables said pin to remain in a vertical positionuntil thrown forward by the concussion of the link A, as aforesaid. Asthe pin B is thrown forward and down, it enters and engages the link A,and the coupling is effected.

In the upper corner of the pin B is formed a vertical rest, B, which,when the pin is in the position of engagement with the link A, restsupon the top of the outer wall of the vertical slot 0 in the draw-head Oand sustains the pin in the position of engagement. The outer walls, SS, of the vertical slot 0 above and below the outer opening, G are soformed in relation to the outer end of the pin B when the latter is in.position of engagement with the link A that said outer end of the pin Babuts against said walls S S above and below the link A, whereby thedraft of said link is upon the walls of the draw-head 0 rather than uponthe pivotal seat K of said pin. This I deem of great importance, as itnecessites only sufficient strength for the required draft to befurnished in the vertical portion of the pin B when the latter is inengagement and renders unnecessary any substantial amount of stren gthin the shank of said pin B or in its pivotal seat. In other words, thedraft through the medium of the link A is applied to the pin B insubstantially the same mode that is usually applied to the common roundvertical coupling-pin.

Ooupling-pins of a hooked shape and for which no exterior support isfurnished, and in which, therefore, the draft is upon and across theshank of such hooks, are likely to prove insufficient in strength forthe purpose intended. Coupling-pins of hook shape, having their engagingmovements toward the car, are also objectionable, in that, fallingtoward the end of the link, the sudden withdrawal of the latter islikely to cause the hook to strike upon the top or beyond the end ofsaid link, in which event the coupling would not be effected; but in myinvention it will be perceived that the pin B falls outward intoengagement with the link A at the moment that said link has projectedsufficiently within the opening in the end of the draw-bar to strike theprojection N on the lower end of the shank of said pin, and said pintherefore falls so far toward the central portion of said link and intothe opening thereof as to enter said open ing before there has been timefor the casual withdrawing of said link by the ordinaryrecoil of thecars. The engaging end of pin B is made sufficiently long to precludebeing jarred above link A.

The description thus far has been of the operation in that car to whichthe free and ex tended end of the link Ahas to be attached in order toaccomplish the coupling, it being understood that the link A previous tothe operation of coupling has been suitably coupled at its other end tothe adjacent car.

Referring, now, to the advantages of my in vention in holding the link Ain such adjacent end for the purpose of effecting the coupling, theposition of the parts will be substantially as shown in Fig. 2. On thelower side of the opening (3 is formed a transverse rib, L, on which,near its inner end, the link Ais supported with its outer end elevatedslightly above the horizontal, and is held in this position by its shortend being engaged and held' down by the pin B. Should the draw-bar C orthe adjacent draw-bar, into which it is intended to thrust the link A,be slightly lower than the draw-head in which the link is carried, asaforesaid, a slight downward pressure on the crank K will slightly raisethe vertical front of the pin B and permit the outer end of the link Ato be depressed by its own gravity, its center of gravity being outsideof the rib L. As the outer end of the link A is so far removed from itscenter of movement, L,

a very slight elevation of the inner end of said link will result in avery considerable depression of the outer end thereof, and thereby acoupling can be effected with a car whose draw bar is much below theplane of that to which said link is attached, as shown. The slightupward elevation of the outer end of the link A when in its normalposition is intended to facilitate the entrance of said link into adrawbar slightly above that in which said link is carried, as aforesaid;but should it be occasionally necessary to attach to a car having adraw-bar so much higher than that in which the link A shall be carriedthat the latter will not automatically enter therein, it may benecessary, as now, to slightly raise the outer end of said link; butwhen a uniform height of draw-bars shall be established the link A willbe inserted and received by my coupling without any manual assistance.

The draw-head O is supported in a duplex vertical stirrup, G,"suitab-lyattached to the end of the car by means of the transverse bar F,provided with a handle, F, upon one of its extremities, and interposedbetween the loop on the lower end of the stirrup G and thebottom of thedraw-head 0. There are four supporting-surfaces to the transverse bar Fwithin IIO its journal-bearings, all of which are at different distancesfrom the axis of rotation of said bar. The bar F is adapted to berotated laterally in the stirrup G by means of the handle F, and byturning the different sides of the bar F upward to form the seat of thehead 0 the latter is supported at different altitudes, and thereby meansafforded for adj usting in some degree the elevation of the outer end ofthe head 0, to adapt it for junction with the draw-heads of variedaltitudes in adjacent cars.

The advantages of my invention are that the operator, in reference tothe car in which the link is to be inserted, can set the coupling-pin Bin the vertical position, in which it will effect its own coupling whenthe link A is inserted, and in reference to the car in which thecoupling-link is carried for insertion, the operator, by means of therock-shaft K, can depress instantly the outer and engaging end of thelink A, and both of these operations can be accomplished without theoperator exposing himself to injury by going between the cars. Theadjustment provided by the bar F is secondary and is intended to beutilized on occasions when the range of elevation or depression of theouter end of the link A is not otherwise sufficient. This adjustment bymeans of the bar F can be made previous to the operation of thecoupling, and when, therefore, there is no personal danger.

Further advantages of myinvention, consist in the fact that the pinB,while in the form ofa hook in its operative position, when inserted inthe link A is utilized for the purpose of draft precisely as is the oldwell-known coupling-pin, and that as my invention involves the use ofthe usual conpling-link, A, it is adapted to be used in conjunction withcars which thus far have been provided only with the usuallink-coupling. It results, therefore, that my coupling can be used inevery instance where and under the same conditions in which the ordinarylink-and-pin coupling can be used,with the additional advantage of avertical adjustment to the draw-head O, the automatic accomplishment ofthe coupling,and the guidance afforded to the link A in the drawhead inwhich such link is carried during the process of coupling. The usualcrooked link can be used in cases requiring it, as at present.

M M are steps for convenience in mounting and alighting from theplatforms C That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, 1s-

1. The combination of the rock-shaft K, provided with end cranks onhandles K, the drawhead 0, provided with cross-rib L, the pin B, rigidlyseated on said shaft within said drawhead, and the link A, whereby theelevation and depression of the outerend of saidlink can be controlledfrom and by said handles K, sub stantially as shown, and for the purposedescribed.

2. The combination of the stirrup G, suitably attached at one end of thecar, the draw-head O, pivotally seated at its inner end, and the bar F,provided with supporting sides parallel with and at variant distancesrespectively from its axis of rotation and adapted to beinterposedbetween said draw-head and stirrup and rotate on the latter, and supportsaid draw-head at variant heights, substantially as shown, and for thepurpose described.

3. The combination of the draw-bar 0', projected within the inner end ofthe draw-head O and provided transversely with the slot 0*, thedraw-head 0, provided with corresponding slot 0, and the pin H, adaptedto enter but not laterally fill said slot, substantially as shown, andfor the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB HAISH.

WVitnesses:

CHARLES A. SALISBURY, SAML. P. BRADSHAW.

